I know that this is not exactly new, but have you seen this spot for Jameson Irish Whiskey?

I love it. Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I really love gin more than scotch, and even after a visit to Scotland and the Glenkinchie Distillery, I have not developed the acquired taste for scotch like my brother. But, I got to tell you, as a novice, trying to distinguish the difference from one mossy, peaty glass to another is half the battle to acquiring the aforementioned taste. This work helps them stand out and I imagine gives people a personality they can identify with. At least enough to get them in the boat. Well done, credit for the spot goes to TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York. That work comes on the heels of a long standing word-of-mouth campaign that got them the growth they needed to eventually speak to a larger audience—thus the new (or relatively new) work.

Great piece of film. However, the print is weak and looks like an afterthought. Web presence looks like they repurposed an off-the-shelf techno widget and feels out of touch with the wonderful story telling foundation they have with John Jameson. So close and yet so far.

Next up, how about this idea:

Fun take on a product that has all the money in the world but a tough time getting people to pay attention. Not a lot of news in the “classic” part of this category. Yet they have given us a reason to pay attention and a reason to think happy thoughts. Credit and the cork go to Coca Cola and Definition 6. Well done.

Eager to hear what you think.

In the dark ages (ten years ago), the only way to spread your idea on a large scale was to do it yourself. This required large buckets of money and lots and lots of ads.

Today, clients get all sweaty thinking about how this magically happens, virally, for free. If it were only that easy.

What’s interesting is that different products and ideas are spread by different groups of people. There isn’t just one professional association of idea spreaders, with everyone else being passive.

For instance, if your authentic little Italian restaurant gets hot, it’s going to be because the chowhounds, the folks who love to talk about the next great place, are buzzing about it. On the other hand, if your blog gets a lot of traffic, it might just be because a few key bloggers are going on about it, spreading the idea.

As gatekeepers to our clients’ businesses, we have to stop and ask ourselves, “What am I doing about it? Have I figured out which portion of my user base are the talkers? Is it possible to focus my efforts on actually making something that they like? Or, am I confusing the people who talk about the competition, with the people I need to reach?” After all, these folks might not be from the same tribe…

Unfortunately, ideas oftentimes fail to spread. However, this may not be a result of their content, but rather, because they don’t have a committed group of people spreading the word about them. If you treat everyone the same, you’re not increasing the odds that some people will step up on your behalf.

The first question to ask someone who is frustrated at the rate their idea is spreading: “Who are you hoping will talk about you?” If you don’t know, it’s unlikely to happen all by itself. On the other hand, being smart about finding, courting and delighting the group most likely to spread the idea, is time well spent.